Vignettes: Morty and Volkner
by Celestial Chaos
Summary: Volkner/Morty. An on-going collection of short stories telling the tale of how Morty and Volkner came to be together. Cute and fluffy, maybe sometimes a little angsty. Please read and review!
1. The Summit

**Author's Notes: So, in an effort to revive my muse by pandering to her desires, I'm giving in to this current joy I get from Morty/Volkner. Because so much isn't really known about them and how they would interact, I'm taking a lot of liberties, but nothing too crazy. I wanted to explore how they came to be together, so thus spawned this vignette collection. I'm not sure how many there will be (I have 3 so far), but it's safe to assume the majority of these occur before my story, "Mystery Gift". **

**Let me know what y'all think, I'm new to the fandom. :P Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>THE SUMMIT<strong>

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><p>Volkner never quite understood how he had come to be so close to Morty.<p>

He supposed the earliest time he could pinpoint the moment their relationship changed for the better was during the gym leader summit in Sinnoh just over three years ago. At the beginning of the year, Gym leaders from all of the nearby regions had come together to discuss anything and everything, though the focus remained primarily on battle tactics, battle standards and of course, _battling_. Those few days had been chock-full of action in every sense of the word.

He remembered it like it was only yesterday.

Each trainer was to spend the first day of the summit battling against one trainer from each other region. Volkner's battles with Misty from Kanto and Winona from Hoenn had gone by without a hitch, which left him to battle Morty from Johto.

Volkner wasn't worried. He'd battled dozens of trainers with ghost-type pokémon in his years as a gym leader. Their attacks were always the same: confuse, frighten, damage, repeat. Most trainers never knew the strength of their pokémon and how easily a ghost-type could be taken down if they were just hit hard and fast. It helped that his Jolteon knew Shadow Ball, as well, which made quick work of any overly confident trainers with ghost pokémon.

The battle began just like any other. Volkner sent out his Electivire, fully intent on knocking out Morty's Haunter with no trouble.

But the battle didn't go as expected. Before Electivire got his attack in, Haunter flashed him with a Confuse Ray that forced him to use Ice Punch on himself. This left Electivire significantly weakened, but Volkner pressed on and managed to break the confusion from his pokémon, who then succeeded in defeating Haunter with a well-aimed Fire Punch. The battle continued with Morty bringing out Misdreavus, another ghost type. This one was significantly faster than Electivire and managed to bring it down with a Shadow Ball so powerful it nearly knocked Volkner off his feet.

Volkner remembered the focus and drive in Morty's eyes during their battle. He also remembered how those beautiful brown eyes darted all over the battlefield, as if anticipating future moves. He had heard in summits past that Morty had developed extrasensory abilities, but they never seemed quite as powerful as Sabrina's or the twins from Hoenn…

With Electivire down, Volkner sent out Raichu. True to form, Volkner attempted to knock out Misdreavus hard and fast. With a pokémon that had speed rivaling Misdreavus he didn't think it would be too hard. One strong Thunderbolt left Morty's pokémon dazed, giving him the chance he needed. Raichu followed up with a Thunder that knocked Misdreavus out cold.

Morty wasted no time in switching her out and bringing in his final pokémon, Gengar. Volkner had heard all kinds of stories about Morty and his Gengar—namely about their bond, and how he could give him commands telepathically. The rumors held true, because shortly after the battle began, Gengar was all over the battlefield, performing moves left and right without so much as a word leaving Morty's mouth. Without any preemptive understanding of what move was coming, Volkner had to rely on his instinct. His instinct left Raichu open for a beating, and soon, he was taken down.

Volkner hadn't experienced the exhilaration of a battle like this in ages. That perhaps was one of the first things that had drawn him to the ghost-type trainer.

He sent out his own last pokémon, Jolteon. He resolved to use Shadow Ball as a surprising last resort, not wanting to give Morty any more of an upper-hand in the battle. It raged on for what seemed like ever, each pokémon dodging their rival's attack and blasting one in return. For a brief period of time Jolteon became confused from a Confuse Ray that blazed across the field. He took a lashing from Gengar, getting hit left and right by successive Night Shade attacks.

Just when the battle seemed won, Volkner called out to Jolteon, "Now, blast Gengar with a Shadow Ball shower!"

For a split second, Morty's eyes showed fear. It was gone in an instant, and he stared at Gengar, who was unable to dodge the attack in time. Gengar was pummeled repeatedly with Shadow Ball until he collapsed on the ground, defeated.

Volkner and Morty stared at each other for a long while before the ghost-type trainer crossed the battlefield and extended his hand.

"I knew I was going to lose…but I couldn't anticipate _that_. What a beautiful secret to hide. You really know how to train your pokémon."

Volkner didn't know how to respond at first. Morty spoke with no disappointment, no anger. He seemed almost _glad_ that he'd lost. How unusual.

He settled upon, "Thank you."

"Please, let me buy you a drink. After that battle, I need some water!"

Never before had Volkner been so intrigued by another trainer. Something about Morty had drawn him in, and after that moment, piqued his curiosity.

They separated ways after the summit, but it wouldn't be long before they came across one another again.


	2. The Contest Hall

**Author's Notes: Here is vignette number 2! I'm having so much fun with these two...something about them is indescribably enjoyable. I guess it's all those years of pokemon love inside of me that never got reflected in anything I wrote. I never really felt a connection to any of the characters until these two-strange, but that's just how things go sometimes.**

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><p><strong>THE CONTEST HALL<strong>

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><p>Volkner wasn't sure how Fantina had managed to make him go to the contest hall in Hearthome City. He wasn't much one for pokémon contests, particularly when it involved treating them like toys on display. Somewhere along the line the word "favor" had popped up—had he even owed her one? He couldn't remember.<p>

He paid very little attention to the contest, save for Fantina and her portion of the judging. She even did a little dance number in the middle of the event that had caught the attention of several sets of eyes. Volkner wondered how much of a jolly she got from having all the attention on her. Though he respected her as a trainer, sometimes her methods seemed a little…_confusing._

Once the contest was over and he was in the clear, Volkner went right for the refreshments. He'd skipped lunch to come here and watch the show; his stomach had been growling eagerly at him for what seemed like hours. While the finger foods and small drinks were undoubtedly insufficient, he knew they would at least reduce his starvation. Maybe he was exaggerating a bit. He didn't care.

As he reached for one of the sandwich triangles he felt another hand bump into him. He pulled back, a shiver shooting up his spine. He turned to look at the other, blinking in surprise when he realized it was Morty from Ecruteak.

"Volkner!" Morty's somber expression lit up. "Fancy meeting you here. I never pegged you the type to like Pokémon contests."

"I'm not," Volkner admitted freely. He took a bite of his sandwich. "Just here to see Fantina. That's all."

"Ah, well. I guess my first inclination was correct." He smiled. "Sorry about that, but I'm starving. I just grabbed the first thing I saw."

Volkner shook his head. He didn't know what else to say, but he felt compelled to keep Morty around. His heart began to beat just a little faster—what was this feeling?

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," Morty said.

"Oh, right, yeah. What _are_ you doing here? Johto's so far away. Is your gym okay?"

"Yes. I always take a week off in the summertime to travel around. I've been in regular contact with Fantina since the summit. She and I are going to have a battle before I leave."

"When's that?"

"Tomorrow night." Morty laughed. "She said that in exchange for a duel, I had to come see her in the contest. Truth be told, it wasn't that bad."

Volkner snorted. "Well, it wasn't what I was expecting."

Morty nodded in understanding. "Ah…"

Silence began to creep into their conversation. Volkner could hear the small talk of people standing around them, but he was unsure what else to say. Still, he didn't want Morty to go. He almost wanted to ask him for a battle, too, before he left. Even though he had beaten the ghost pokémon trainer nearly half a year ago, the exhilaration and excitement he'd felt…it had seemingly disappeared until now.

Volkner realized Morty was staring at him. His gaze was almost _knowing_, as if he were aware of everything going on inside his head. Volkner raised an eyebrow, worrying his lip.

"I feel it, you know."

"Feel what?"

"Your apprehension."

Morty gestured for the two of them to move away from the refreshment table and toward the more private sitting area nearby. Volkner followed without hesitation.

What did he mean, apprehension?

Volkner sat across from Morty at the circular café table. His heart rate continued to accelerate. Were his cheeks red? He wanted to feel, but he didn't want to bring attention to them if they were.

"There is something strange between us," Morty stated simply. "I can feel it, and I know that you can, too. Right?"

"What?"

"I thought as much."

Volkner had always prided himself in being upfront, but it always surprised him when others were the same way. _Especially_ when it came to expressing _his_ feelings to _him_.

"Ever since our battle at the summit. Something sparked between us. And I daresay you understand sparks better than I do." Morty winked.

Volkner laughed. It felt out of place, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Does it scare you?"

The question was so abrupt that it forced Volkner to give an immediate response. "No."

"Ah. Well, that's good."

Was _Morty _blushing now?

"You fascinate me. I don't know why." Volkner continued, "Ever since our battle, I've been unable to recreate that…that _feeling_."

"But you have it now."

"Yes. And I don't know why."

"I can feel it, too. And I can't explain why, either. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Some things you can anticipate and grasp without trouble. Other things…you have to try and come to understand them in your own time. The world works in interesting ways."

What Morty said made sense. Volkner, however, didn't quite understand what it meant for them. He was by no means a strong people person. He kept to himself, choosing to focus more on his relationship with technology than with other people. Morty seemed distant from others as well, though in an entirely different way. His connection to his pokémon ran deep—inexplicably and intriguingly so. What did this mean for the two of them as individuals? As a pair? Was that even the implication?

"Volkner." Morty leaned in and rested his arms on the table. "I want to battle you again. Before I leave, I mean."

Volkner smirked. "Can you See who's going to win?"

Morty laughed. "My vision of the outcome is unclear. I'm no psychic like Sabrina, but I'm a whole heck of a lot stronger than I was six months ago."

"Then let's go."


	3. Correspondence

**Author's Notes: I got inspired to write this story while thinking about long distance relationships. Obviously since Morty and Volkner live in different regions, they would be doing a lot of their interaction via letter/mail correspondence. This is just one letter out of many that I feel they've written, plus a take from Morty's point of view. Let me know what you all think. ^^**

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><p><strong>CORRESPONDENCE<strong>

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><p><em>Morty,<em>

_ How are you? I caused a roaring blackout in the city the other day. I was tampering with the new solar panels I'd laid out over the Pokémon center but I must have short circuited the grid. A lot of people were upset about it, but I managed to fix it within an hour or so. Flint had just arrived for a visit, too, so he didn't let that go the entire time he was here. _

_ Flint sends his greetings. He wonders when you'll ever come and challenge him at the Pokémon League. I told him that you'd send an answer in your next letter, so be sure to be gentle with him. Or, you know, don't. I don't mind. Flint has a big ego and seems to think everyone wants to battle him. You'd probably beat him, anyway. _

_ A trainer came to my gym just yesterday and challenged me for a badge. She used a Haunter, and it reminded me of you. After I won, I asked her where she got it. She told me she had come all the way from Kanto and was traveling with a friend who lives here in Veilstone City. She did a good job, but she could definitely use some training from your gym. I told her that if she ever visited Johto, she should challenge you. _

_ I miss you. I feel much more alive when I'm around you. I never know how to describe it. You understand what I mean, right? Of course you do. You get things no one else does._

_The summit is coming up soon here in Hoenn. They're holding it in Lavaridge Town, did you see? We should visit the hot springs there when we have some free time. I hear they're the best in the world. _

_ Write back soon._

_ Volkner_

Morty had always known that somewhere in his future he would meet, befriend and come to love a blond haired man with a magnetic personality. The knowledge of this man's existence had come to him one night in a vivid dream that Morty experienced time and time again. Try though he might, he could never find him while awake. Some days it frustrated him. Other days he weathered the wait well. The longer it took, the closer he became to losing faith in his supernatural ability.

That was until that fateful day when Volkner entered his life. Though the Sinnoh native had remained distant during each and every gym leader summit, Morty knew Volkner was the one. That energy was one of a kind—something that he'd been seeking for years. He'd been so excited to find it that he nearly spilled his entire story to Volkner the very day they'd met. But Morty knew better than that. Everything happened for a reason, and happened in its own time. The two of them would speak when they were supposed to.

That time came when they finally battled one another at the gym leader summit. Everything about the battle had been _electric_. Looking back, describing that way seemed almost comical. Nonetheless, it remained perfectly true. Morty knew that he would lose, but that didn't stop him from trying to win with every fiber of his being.

But Volkner was better. His passion and drive was relentless, his pokémon undefeatable. His reputation as the toughest gym leader in Sinnoh preceded him.

Morty had left the summit that year feeling exhilarated, excited…the channel between them had opened. Their paths had intertwined. This led them to meeting again at Fantina's contest some months later. When he saw Volkner that day, his spirit was brimming with energy. He seemed anxious, as if seeking answers. That was when Morty laid what he knew out on the table—at least partially. While fate may be inevitable, it is delicate. Even the slightest push can twist the threads beyond repair.

Their battle had been even more intense than their previous. This time, Morty stood as the victor, thanks to careful planning. He knew what to anticipate from Volkner this round. It also appeared that Volkner had learned, for his battle strategy had changed drastically. It came down to Gengar and Jolteon once again, but a focused Ice Beam did the trick.

They spent the evening together sharing dinner at a small café in Hearthome City. After that moment, they agreed to keep regular correspondence via mail since traveling between Johto and Sinnoh was difficult due to time constraints. After all, they were both gym leaders with deep connections to their cities—they were invested in far more than just pokémon battles.

The first couple of letters weren't incredibly detailed. Morty knew that Volkner wasn't the type to divulge much, seeing as he didn't even when in person. But after the third or fourth piece of mail, the letters grew longer and more in depth. Volkner started sharing things about himself, including wishes for his future and dreams he had as a child. He asked more questions, too, which intrigued Morty. He kept all of the letters in a small box hidden beneath the springs of his bed. It wasn't so much that he was scared someone would find them.

He just wanted to keep them close to him.

He wondered if Volkner did the same…

He vowed to write that question in his next letter.


	4. The Hot Springs

**Author's Notes: This piece came to me prior to Correspondence did, but I didn't write it until afterward. I figured the hot springs in Hoenn would be a fun place to go, and since I never really remember much about that region (or Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) to begin with-eek!-it would be in my best interest to challenge myself to include it. I'm not sure if this will be the last vignette or not-I've not written more, but I won't rule out the possibility. Hope you all enjoy it. ^^ ****Please be sure to review!**

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><p><strong>THE HOT SPRINGS<strong>

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><p>"Morty! Where are you off to? When will you be back?"<p>

"The hot springs! I'll be back before you know it."

Whitney made a face. "And you didn't invite me?"

"I'm going with someone else." Morty smiled, weathering through Whitney's look of surprise. "Be back soon!"

The ghost-type trainer exited the pokémon center with a sense of purpose. He twisted the map in his hands to help him figure out the right path to take to the Lavaridge hot springs. From the looks of it he had a while before he'd get there. Maybe it would have been smarter to take a shuttle or something of the like. The crisp, wintry air chilled his nose and cheeks, reddening the skin not protected by his scarf.

Morty arrived at the entrance to the hot springs just as the sun set on the horizon, rippling beautiful purples and reds across the endless expanse. He set his eyes on the entrance to the spring, taking note of how similar the architecture was to that he knew back home in Ecruteak. Two paper lanterns hung on either side of the weathered wooden door, giving it a very timeless feel—almost as if the hot spring had been here for ages.

He pulled open the door and quickly slipped inside. Though it wasn't much warmer in the lobby, it certainly felt nicer than the cold air blowing through his clothes. He carefully undid his scarf and held it in his hands, approaching the woman sitting behind a small wooden desk. It smelled strongly of cypress, reminding him of home.

"Which way to the bathing facility?" he asked her.

"Just through that door," the woman said, smiling pleasantly. "In there you will find a section of cabinets to store your clothes in. Enjoy."

"Thank you."

Morty de-robed, washed himself thoroughly and then grabbed a white towel from a rack near the exit to the hot springs outside. With that modest cover he then braved the outside, feeling an immediate chill that soon grew subdued. The natural warmth of the hot spring helped take the edge off of the cold air, but Morty shivered briskly nonetheless.

The hot spring was divided into three sections of varying size. In the smallest, which was closest to the entrance to the bathhouse, sat a mother with her two children. They were playing in the water while she relaxed with a washcloth over her forehead. Morty passed them by with a polite wave, moving toward the largest section of the spring in the back of the area. The hot spring sat atop a hill which lead down into a small valley in front of Mount Chimney. There grazed several different pokémon, each wandering aimlessly.

Morty slowly dipped his foot into the hot spring so he could get used to the temperature. As he further submerged himself he removed his towel, laying it on the rocky granite surrounding the spring. He resituated his head band to help keep his hair from his face, smiling softly.

Just as he came to rest against the side of the spring and close his eyes, a voice caught his attention.

"Why am I not surprised you've already slipped inside?"

Volkner stood beside Morty on the granite flooring, arms folded over his chest and a sideways smirk on his face.

"What can I say? You were very correct: this is the best hot spring around."

Volkner chuckled. He immersed himself in the water, removing his towel and setting it beside Morty's before submerging nearly completely. He floated around aimlessly in the middle, his pale skin flushing pink.

"I watched your battle with Norman," Volkner said. "Intense."

"Not the easiest match I've had," Morty said, recalling how difficult it was to defeat Norman's pair of Slaking and his Vigoroth. Normal-type pokémon were almost the antithesis of ghost-types, which extended their battle far longer than it should have. He won, though by a small margin, thanks to the power of confusion and impediment. "You did an excellent job against Misty."

"I think we both knew the outcome of that battle," Volkner said with a snort.

Morty simply gave an agreeing sound. He watched Volkner for a moment, enjoying the fact that he was nearby. When the other caught him staring, he didn't seem to mind.

Their relationship was hard to explain. Though Morty knew it was becoming progressively closer, no physical contact had been initiated on either side. He supposed Volkner's suggestion in coming to the hot springs while in Lavaridge had been an attempt on his part to getting there. Truth be told, he wished his visions would have given him a bit more guidance. The end result was clear: they were destined to journey through life together. The hard part was figuring out the in-between.

He pushed away from the edge of the hot spring, gliding through the water toward the other blond. Pieces of Volkner's hair had gotten wet and were clinging to his reddened face. Morty couldn't help but smile.

"What?" Volkner asked.

Morty chose not to reply verbally. Instead he lifted one hand from the water, bringing his fingers close to the other's face. He carefully brushed the moistened tips of Volkner's bangs away from his eyes and eyebrows, letting his fingers linger momentarily. Volkner's eyes closed briefly, the corners of his lips curling upward.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked.

Volkner gave a slow nod.

"I …"

"Mm."

"I always knew someday that I would meet you."

"I'm not surprised," Volkner offered quietly, his eyes closing once again.

"Our lives are intertwined, for whatever reason. Fate made that abundantly clear."

"Yes, I know."

"What I feel for you is very strong, Volkner. I can't describe it. Do you feel the same?"

Volkner nodded again. His candid reply was unexpected, but appreciated.

Morty reached up again, drawing his fingertips down along the other's forehead, cheeks and chin. He closed the space between them, finally acting on the feeling coursing through his body. When he kissed Volkner, the sensations that overtook his body sent a jolt through his system. He pulled back with tingling lips and a fast-beating heart.

That was the sensation he'd felt while battling Volkner all that time ago.

Inexplicable. All-encompassing. _Electric_.

The two stared at one another for ages before Volkner spoke. He worried his lip, then said, "I want you to come back with me. To Sinnoh."

"For how long?"

"Any length of time. I want to be with you."

Volkner removed any and all distance between them when he gently guided Morty back toward the shallower end of the hot spring. There, he wrapped him in a warm embrace. That electric feeling engulfed Morty, bringing to light all kinds of distorted, unfocused flashes of future occurrences. Each and every one of them included Volkner to some capacity, and he knew for sure because of one thing—that _feeling._

When they pulled apart, Morty nodded. "I'll take an extended leave for a week from the gym."

Volkner kissed him this time, his lips forming a genuine smile which lit up his face.

"I'm not scared," he said. "If it were anyone else, I might be. But not you."


End file.
